Guy De Maupassant’s short story,”The Necklace” portrays Mathilda, a French middle-class woman, as someone who is very unhappy with her life. Throughout the story, the protagonist’s actions and Maupassant’s direct characterization demonstrate Madame Loisel’s transformation from a shallow and insecure girl, to a matured self-accepting woman. The theme, pride can be a personal obstacle, is reflected throughout Mathilda’s journey into becoming a strong, and changed woman. Initially, Mathilda is described as someone who is very prideful, which causes her to be materialistic and ungrateful. Maupassant uses direct characterization to show Mathilda’s materialistic view and states her suffering, “...feeling herself born for all the delicacies and all
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After the ball, Mathilda loses the necklace and instead of telling Madame Forestier she had lost it, she and Mr. Loisel spend ten years of their life paying off the necklace. This takes a dramatic toll on Mathilda physically,“She had become a strong, hard woman, the crude woman of the poor household. Her hair badly dressed, her skirts awry,her hands red, she spoke in a loud tone..”(5). Madame Loisel has changed into a hardworking woman, opposed to the selfish woman she was at first. She has let go of worrying about luxuries, and desires, and instead focuses on hard work. All of the housework she does changes her appearance, but she is no longer worried about that, and instead is matured and modest. After the ten years of paying off the necklace, Mathilda sees Madame Forestier and tells her about all the work she’s done to pay it, “And she smiled with a joy which was proud and naive at once.”(6). Madame Loisel has now overcome one of her biggest challenges, her pride. She is now confident and proud of the work she’s done, shown through her naive smile. The ten years of hard work causes her to grow and appreciate what she has and is now accepting her life and is genuinely content. Mathilda's pride gradually transforms in her being proud of who she has become. Mathilda’s insecurities was a difficult challenge for her to overcome, and it took her ten years of hard work to learn to accept herself. Over time, Mathilda lets go of her dreams of luxuries, and instead learns to accept the lifestyle she has. Overcoming this large obstacle makes Mathilda a content and more grateful person in her
After the ball, Mathilda loses the necklace and instead of telling Madame Forestier she had lost it, she and Mr. Loisel spend ten years of their life paying off the necklace. This takes a dramatic toll on Mathilda physically,“She had become a strong, hard woman, the crude woman of the poor household. Her hair badly dressed, her skirts awry,her hands red, she spoke in a loud tone..”(5). Madame Loisel has changed into a hardworking woman, opposed to the selfish woman she was at first. She has let go of worrying about luxuries, and desires, and instead focuses on hard work. All of the housework she does changes her appearance, but she is no longer worried about that, and instead is matured and modest. After the ten years of paying off the necklace, Mathilda sees Madame Forestier and tells her about all the work she’s done to pay it, “And she smiled with a joy which was proud and naive at once.”(6). Madame Loisel has now overcome one of her biggest challenges, her pride. She is now confident and proud of the work she’s done, shown through her naive smile. The ten years of hard work causes her to grow and appreciate what she has and is now accepting her life and is genuinely content. Mathilda's pride gradually transforms in her being proud of who she has become. Mathilda’s insecurities was a difficult challenge for her to overcome, and it took her ten years of hard work to learn to accept herself. Over time, Mathilda lets go of her dreams of luxuries, and instead learns to accept the lifestyle she has. Overcoming this large obstacle makes Mathilda a content and more grateful person in her